X-Rite Announces New Inline Color Management System for the Paper Industry

Published: April 23, 2021

X-Rite Incorporated and Pantone LLC, global leaders in color science and technology, announced the new ColorXRA 45 inline spectrophotometer designed to meet the unique needs of the paper industry.

When paired with the X-Rite ESWin Closed Loop Color Control software, the ColorXRA 45 reportedly delivers a complete color management system for monitoring color and making automatic color adjustments without stopping manufacturing.

The ColorXRA 45 is a non-contact inline spectrophotometer with avspectral resolution of 1 nanometer. The instrument can measure color at multiple points in the paper manufacturing process including before reel up, during liquid paper stock, or between the press and dryer section.

The ColorXRA 45 system features:

• Redesigned mount and frame that is more stable at the measurement point, less sensitive to failures and can automatically clean the backing tile;
• Dirt detection system warns operators when the device needs cleaning and calibration to minimize rework and downtime in busy industrial environments; 
• New lamp and optical design deliver improved color accuracy by providing circumferential illumination to minimize the effects of surface texture differences;
• Temperature sensor to measure temperature dependencies on color for improved lab correlation and reduced color variance;
• Fast start-up times and shorter transition times for minimal downtime;
• Compatible with legacy data for a seamless transition to the new system; and
• Connectivity to distributed control system (DCS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) to support Industry 4.0 initiatives. 

The ColorXRA 45 uses a standardized measurement geometry that closely correlates with lab measurements to maintain tight color tolerances without cutting a sample. It can measure base color and optical brighteners separately for optimal control over each component and maintains stable measurements when base weight or opacity change. 

The ColorXRA 45 works with ESWin Closed Loop Color Control software to automatically and precisely control color to a target shade on continuous process manufacturing lines. ESWin uses spectral data captured by the ColorXRA 45 to calculate the adjustment of dyes and optical brightening agents and automatically adjust the dye pumps to achieve the target color.

For more information, visit https://www.xrite.com.